The Wonderful World of Minotaur

You’re 16 years old and it’s time to choose your A Levels. You want to study geography, but your parents think history is better. You concede and spend two years struggling with a subject you detest. 

At 17, you’re applying to universities. You want to study Psychology but your parents don’t think it’s a serious degree. They want you to study Law instead. You listen to them since they probably know best, right?

And so it continues. You take the grad job they prefer. You follow the ‘safe’ career path, neglecting your passions and interests in the process. You date the nice girl that your friends say is better for you. You get married because your extended family is pressuring you. You have kids because the elders at church remind you about your biological clock. 

At what point do you start making decisions for yourself?

Succumbing to societal expectations and peer pressure is a trap we all fall into. So I don’t want to come off sanctimonious or as though I’m above it. But as I near the end of my 20s, it’s something I’ve become hyperaware of. I look around at my peers hitting milestones, making life-altering decisions, and I can’t help but wonder “How much of this is actually for you?” 

Taking control of your life does not mean you have to uproot everything and start again. It can be as simple as saying no. As thrilling as doing something that excites you. As daring as wearing that unconventional outfit. As freeing as getting that piercing you always wanted. 

Some of my favourite content these days is unconventional older people. Not because I can always relate to them, but because I can see the joy that comes from living a life you’ve decided to fully make yours. It’s an inspiring reminder that it’s never too late to reclaim your life. 

When it’s all said and done, can you honestly say you’ve lived a life you’re happy with? Can you say you made the choices you actually wanted to make?

At the end of the day, it’s not your family or your friends or anyone else that has to live with your choices – it’s you. You deserve to live a life that feels like it truly belongs to you.